Women in Leadership Seminars

Women in Leadership Seminar Series

Our signature 2016 Women in Leadership (WIL) Seminar Series is a monthly program that provides a small group forum for female leaders to interact with each other and with inspirational and successful leadership role models, thought leaders, and other experts. Read highlights from past seminars.

TLG’s monthly Women in Leadership seminar series occurs either the third or fourth Friday of each month at the Commerce Club at 191 Peachtree Street (49th floor). Breakfast and networking begin at 7:30am and the presentation begins at 8:00am. Directions.

For information on 2016 WIL subscriptions call or email Susan Hitchcock (susanhitchcock@turknett.com). If you have never attended, please call and let us know if you would like to attend your first session as our guest.

2016 Women in Leadership Series:

January 29: “My Path to Entrepreneurship and What I Learned about Leadership”featuring Anisa Telwar Kaicker, President & Founder of Anisa International, a global design and manufacturing firm of private label cosmetic brushes, bags, & accessories for brands like Sephora, Estee’ Lauder, etc. Headquarted in ATL, the company operates a manufacturing plant in China; a design studio in NYC; and sales offices across the U.S., United Kingdom, & China. A 2015 Atlanta Business Chronicle “Women Who Mean Business” honoree, Anisa’s business acumen and leadership skills were honed while working with her mother, another global entrepreneur (there’s something in the DNA!) Her story is both inspiring and authentic – full of lessons learned along the way.

February 19: “Building Trust through Vulnerability” featuring Maggie DeCan, President & COO, HoneyBaked – a business of nearly $500MM in system sales, 400+ franchise & company-owned stores & 100 seasonal locations. With broad responsibilities (i.e, Bus. Dev., Mktg, Supply Chain, Real Est., Food Safety etc.), Maggie’s led the company’s expansion into the int’l marketplace, nearly doubled sales while successfully consolidating. A champion of education, she won a GA PTA visionary leadership award and raised $500K+ to support technology in local schools. Maggie’s also a 2014 Turknett Leadership Character Award nominee and she was honored by the GA Diversity Council for her exceptional influence.

March 24 (THURSDAY):“Lessons in Leadership, Talent Development, and Corporate Compliance” featuring Kelly Barrett, VP Internal Audits & Corporate Compliance -The Home Depot. Her previous roles include SVP / CFO for Cousins Properties and audit mgr. with Arthur Andersen. Currently Kelly’s responsible for all internal and external financial reporting including filings with the SEC. Among many career accomplishments, Kelly led the world’s largest finance SAP implementation in 2004. A highly respected corporate executive – including a 2015 “Women Who Mean Business” honoree – she’s a strong advocate of diversity, women’s advancement, and community service, including Girl Scouts & many other organizations.

April 22: “Tackling Abuse and Slavery of Women & Girls: Global Strategies That Work” featuring Michele Rickett, President / CEO of She is Safe (SIS). For over 25 years, Michele has followed a humanitarian life calling to mobilize people to help women and girls towards freedom, skills, loans and new life. Working in the U.S. and in India, Indonesia, China, Nepal, Mali and the Middle East, she’s helped impact over 15,000 individuals. Her contributions include research published in Least Valued No More; best practices for interventions; campaigns to raise awareness and funding; and co-authoring Forgotten Girls – named to the list of Top 10 books on faith and justice by World Vision in 2014.

May 20: “Building Bridges & Loving New Challenges: The Road to a Rewarding (and rather unpredictable) Career” featuring Julie Seitz, The Coca-Cola Company’s Global Workplace Strategy & Operations Leader. Most recently, Julie has led the Workplace 2020 project, reimagining and renovating the company’s global HQ in ATL. Her work has taken her to Warsaw, New Delhi, Madrid, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, & Johannesburg. Among her many past roles are franchise leadership, Olympic general management & customer care. A 2015 “Women Who Mean Business” honoree, Julie began her career as an IBM systems engineer. She serves on the Beltline Partnership Board and chairs the student affairs advisory board at Clemson University, her alma mater.

June 17: “Want to be a Success? Think BIGGER!” featuring Lara O’Connor Hodgson, President/CEO, NOW Corp. Her business is an innovative new merchant funding service designed for companies that sell to other businesses and governments. An honor graduate of Georgia Tech and the Harvard Business School, Lara is a serial entrepreneur. Previously she was COO/CMO at Dewberry Capital and a SVP/ GM at iXL. She founded Nourish, Inc; Chairs the ATL Heights Charter School; serves on the BD of Trustees of GT Alumni Assoc. & the Advisory Bd. of GT Scheller College of Business; GTRA Board member; GT instructor in Finance; and was a member of Leadership GA’05 & Leadership ATL’04. Lara’s the only female business owner to be represented as a “business case study” at the Harvard Business School.

July 29: “A Business Leader’s Journey from Farmhands to All Hands” featuring Janet Barnard, President of Manheim North America. Janet is part of the Cox Automotive leadership team that includes 79 operating locations. Previous roles include EVP & COO at Manheim and SVP /GM for Cox Communications’ (CCI) Central Region. Her CCI responsibilities spanned a $1.2B voice, data and video services’ business. Janet was the 2014 WIT Woman of the Year, Large/Enterprise and is among the list of “100 Leading Women in the N. American Auto Industry” as well as the “100 Most Powerful Women in Cable.” She also serves on the Board of Governors / GA C of C; is Exec. Sponsor for Cox Automotive’s Green Council; and participates in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America to raise funds for chronically ill children (on her motorcycle!)

September 23: “Destined to Serve” featuring Susan Luz, US Army Colonel (Ret.), BSN, MSN, RN. Based in Providence, RI, Susan Corry Luz is the author of The Nightingale of Mosel: A Journey of Service, Struggle and War based on her experience and service in the Iraq war – and for which she was awarded the Bronze Star in 2007. Along with her “band of sisters,” she’s credited with helping save 30,000 lives while in Iraq. Susan’s story is nothing short of heroic – a testament to a life of service in her profession as a nurse. Her call to serve others took her into a psychiatric prison ward, the Peace Corp in Brazil and Project Hope, a gang-ridden inner city school system in Rhode Island – and, ultimately, into war.

October 21: “Why You Should Never Stop Learning and Developing as a Leader” featuring Dr. Matrecia James, Dean of the Business School, St. Bonaventure University, NY state: formerly Assoc. Dean Accreditation & Graduate Programs, Jacksonville University. Before her recent appointment at St. Bonaventure, Dr. James was a professor, administrator, and developer of leadership programs at JU in Jacksonville, FL. Well respected in the higher education and business community, Dr. James led the joint effort with the Chamber of Commerce and the local Women’s Business Center to develop & implement a leadership development program that became a hallmark offering for JU’s Davis School of Business and the WBC. She also led JU’s graduate Leadership Dev. Portfolios for all MBA, Flex MBA, MSOL programs and founded Multi-Level Sustainable Leadership.

November 18: “One Leader’s Journey of Leadership and Faith” featuring Jenny Pruitt, founder of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. A highly respected community advocate, benefactor, and visionary leader in real estate, Jenny also authored Beneath His Wings, the story of her life. From humble beginnings and hardships growing up to the very pinnacle of business success, she’s overcome many hurdles, but her faith has always guided her. A Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into GSU’s Business “Hall of Fame,” and the E. A. Isakson Award for the highest level of integrity and professionalism in her industry are but a few of her honors. Responsible for over 250 agents in the metro area and a projected $1B in sales in 2015, she still finds time to volunteer and to serve on several boards including the History Center’s Board of Trustees and the Carter Center’s Board of Councilors. She’s also the recipient of the 2016 Four Pillar Tribute presented by the Council for Quality Growth.

December 16: “Power Couple: What They’ve Learned about Leadership, Life & Legacies” featuring Dr. Bob Turknett, CEO and Lyn Turknett, President – Co-founders of the Turknett Leadership Group. Nationally recognized experts in the field of talent management, leadership development and organization effectiveness, the Turknetts have been in the consulting business 25+ years. Together they created the Leadership Character Model and co-authored Decent People Decent Company: How to Lead with Character at Work and in Life and have established a remarkable legacy. Their legacy includes thousands of leaders they’ve help reach a higher level, the Annual Leadership Character Awards, multiple leadership and service roles in the community – and – an inspirational spirit of integrity and generosity.